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The American Soybean Association (ASA) has asked for help from top US agricultural officials to generate forward momentum on EU Commission approvals of new soybean traits.
The ASA published an open letter from association president, Richard Wilkins, to US Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, and US trade representative, Michael Froman, last week asking for assistance in moving three biotech soybean strains through the European Commission’s approval process.
Soybean growers and the ASA have been waiting for final approval on the biotech feed crops since January . . .One of the traits was set to be commercially available this spring and has already been approved in other export markets including China.
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So far there has been no reaction, [Wilkins] said.
“As we get closer to planting, all eyes are on the new technologies that are out there for farmers,” said Wilkins. “The particular traits hung up in the European system right now are of particular interest to US farmers.”
One of the three traits in question is a strain of soybean that has resistance to the herbicides dicamba and glyphosate, said Wilkins in the letter. That product is commercially available and likely will be planted by US farmers.
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In the letter, he noted recent media speculation around the delay that suggested the Commission may be linking the timing of the approvals to the ongoing regulatory procedure to renew the authorization of glyphosate. “We hope this is not the case, as these issues are obviously not connected from a scientific, legal and regulatory point of view,” wrote Wilkins.
Read full, original post: US soy growers call on EU Commission to approve biotech feed crops
